The quickest way from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls is a direct flight of about an hour and three quarters from O.R. Tambo International. Two airports serve the falls: Victoria Falls Airport on the Zimbabwean side and Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International in Livingstone on the Zambian side. Both have several daily or near-daily flights from Johannesburg at the time of writing (late 2026). Driving takes two days.
Which airport to fly into
Pick the airport in the country where you are sleeping. That sounds obvious, but cheaper fares into Victoria Falls tempt plenty of people who are staying in Livingstone, and the saving tends to disappear once you add a Zimbabwe visa, two border posts and a longer transfer.
- Staying in Livingstone or upstream on the Zambian bank: fly to Livingstone. The airport is about 5 km from the town centre.
- Staying in Victoria Falls town: fly to Victoria Falls Airport, about 18 km south of town.
- Seeing both sides and flying in and out of different airports: possible, and handy if you are moving on to Botswana, but check you have the right visa for each crossing. The Victoria Falls border crossing guide explains how the bridge works.
Who flies the route
At the time of writing, airline listings show these carriers between Johannesburg and the falls. Schedules change by season, and smaller airlines come and go, so check each airline's own site before you plan around a flight.
Johannesburg to Livingstone (LVI): Airlink, FlySafair, CemAir and Zambia Airways.
Johannesburg to Victoria Falls (VFA): Airlink, FlySafair, South African Airways, CemAir and Fastjet.
Airlink has the most frequencies on both routes and is the carrier most long-haul airlines partner with, which matters when you want your bags checked through. The low-cost carriers can be cheaper on a standalone ticket but generally will not take your luggage from a long-haul flight.
Most departures leave Johannesburg in the late morning and land around lunchtime, which suits travellers arriving overnight from Europe. Flights from the US East Coast usually arrive in the morning too, but leave less margin.
Connecting from a long-haul flight
O.R. Tambo is where most visitors from the UK, Europe and North America change planes. How smoothly it goes depends on your ticket.
One ticket, one booking reference. Your bags should be checked through to Livingstone or Victoria Falls, and you can usually stay airside and go straight to the international transfer desk. Follow the airline's minimum connection time and you are protected if the first flight is late.
Separate tickets. You will normally clear South African immigration, collect your bags, check in again in the departures hall and go back through security and passport control. Allow at least three hours. Check whether your nationality needs a South African visa to enter the country even for a few hours; most Western passports do not, but some do.
If you are landing late in the day, an overnight at an airport hotel and a morning flight north is less stressful than a tight connection, and it gets you to the falls rested.
Baggage
Regional aircraft on these routes are smaller than long-haul jets. Overhead lockers fill fast and cabin bags may be taken at the steps and returned on the tarmac. Check the checked-bag allowance on the regional leg, especially on separate or low-cost tickets, where it can be lower than your long-haul allowance.
On arrival
Both airports issue visas on arrival, including the KAZA UniVisa that covers Zambia and Zimbabwe together. Have US dollars in clean, small notes for the fee in case card machines are down. The KAZA UniVisa guide explains when it beats a single visa.
Transfers from either airport are short. Plenty of lodges include them; Zambezi Dusk, for example, includes airport transfers, so send them your flight numbers once you have booked. Otherwise, taxis wait outside, and you should agree the fare before you get in.
Driving instead
The road from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls is roughly 1,250 to 1,300 km via Botswana, through Martin's Drift, Francistown, Nata and Kasane, then over the Kazungula Bridge into Zambia or on into Zimbabwe. The alternative through Beitbridge and Bulawayo is similar in distance but the Beitbridge border is known for long queues.
Two days is realistic, with a night in Francistown or Nata. The stretch from Nata to Kasane, about 300 km, crosses elephant country with long gaps between fuel stops and should be driven in daylight. Driving only makes sense if the journey is part of the trip; the self-drive guide covers the paperwork and routes in detail.
When to fly
July to October is busy, with school holidays in Europe and South Africa, and fares on the Johannesburg leg rise accordingly. Book this leg at the same time as your long-haul flight, ideally on the same ticket. The regional hop is often where the price jumps if you leave it late, because there are fewer seats.
Easter, the June–July South African school holidays and the December–January period also fill up. For the falls themselves, the best time to visit Victoria Falls depends more on how much water you want to see than on flight prices.
